Barrows’ music collection donated to seminary

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In November, Cliff Barrows, longtime music and programming director for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), donated his collection of 298 hymnals and 13 music-related books to Southern Seminary’s Boyce Centennial Library.

The Barrows’ collection includes songbooks from Billy Graham crusades, compilations by Barrows and songbooks used by the Graham ministry.

Barrows chose to give the books to the seminary because of its existing connections with Billy Graham — its school of missions, evangelism and church growth that is named for Graham and the collection of materials from the BGEA’s early years.

“I am glad to see a resurgence of interest in the old hymns,” Barrows said. “The words to the old hymns are full of great theology. … As Stephen Olford once said, great theology produces great hymnology which produces great doxology.”